Improved hair-pin



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoEc WILLIAMWICKERSHAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. i

IMPROVED HAIR-PIN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 106,009, dated August 2, 1870.

I, WILLIAM WIcKERsHAM, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in the Hair-Pin, of which the following is a specifloat-ion:

My inprovement relates to the form of wire of which my hair-pin is made; and consists of a hair-pin as an article of manufacture, formed or made of wire, having a succession of larger and smaller diameters, so graded from the larger to the smaller that the pin can readily pass into the hair, yet having indentation of such form and depth as will prevent its coming out while in use. l

In my drawing, a a is longitudinal section of my hair pin, showing the lindentations around it and along its sides, or, in other words, the succession of larger and smallerV diameters. al is an enlarged view of one end of the same, showing more yclearly the angular form of the indentations and the rounded form of the prominent portions. a2 shows the same, with the form of the wire somewhat varied, having the indentations rounded as well as the prominent portions. c3 shows another variation of the wire, in' which both the prominent portions and the indentations are angular, yet its angles and sides so graded as not to prevent its easy passage into the hair, at the same time its indentations holding it in any desired position until withdrawn by the hand.

The common trouble in the use of the rst hair-pins (which were made of plain wire) was that they would work out while in use, and to prevent this the wire of which they were made was corrugated-that is, a succession of short bends was made in a portion of the pin; but it was found that if the direction of the hair was the same as the plane of the corrugations, this would not prevent their losing out, and when this was found to be the case some manufacturers made the corrugations the other way-that is, so that their plane was at right angles to that of the rst; but this, it was found, merely shifted the difficulty without either removing or diminishing it, so that still the constant losing of the pins, and the consequent vexatious disarrangement of the hair, are .everywhere complained of. Now, to obviate this defect, I make the indentations all the way around the wire, so that it matters not what the direction of theV hair is, or on what side ofthe pin it rests, for, lying on either side of the pin, it must rest in the indentations, which give it a constant security in its position.

Considering the frequent loss of the old hair-pins, and the imperfect device for holding the hair in its proper adjustment on that account, I cannot estimate myimproved hairpin at less than twice the value of the old ones; yet I can make them at as low cost as any in the market.

My hair-pin has this further advantage: These indentations extend the whole length of the pin, giving it in every part of its length a greater holding power than the old ones, so

that, to secure two portions of hair by its eX- tending through them, it will secure them more permanently in their adjustment, though old pins did not come out, so that in case the old pins should accidentally all remain in the hair a smaller number (probably less thanhalf) of mine would do the same service.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A hair-pin with one or both of its legs formed or made of wire, having alternate or successive larger and smaller diameters, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM VICKERSHAM.

. Witnesses:

A. D. PARKER, JOHN R. BULLARD. 

